How the race for ratings affected the election coverage

A look at the race for ratings and the US media's role in the elections and the rise of Donald Trump.

For all the ideological differences between Fox News on the right, MSNBC on the left and all the channels in between, US broadcast media have gorged themselves on Donald Trump coverage in their reporting on the presidential election.

Why? Because ratings win over ideology just about every time. Trump delivered the ratings and, in return, the news networks delivered the airtime.

But the problem is bigger than Trump: the US broadcast media, which are almost 100 percent corporate, will remain in place after the election, and come the next big story, the next big issue, their ultimate loyalty will not be to the public, but to their ratings and their shareholders.

Richard Gizbert looks at the race for ratings and the US media's role in the elections and the rise of Trump.